Be the Match

   For many children with leukemias and lymphoma, chemo and radiation aren't enough.  They need a bone marrow transplant to reset their immune system and cure their cancer.  While some children find a match in a sibling, or a parent, many lack a familial match.  They must turn to the National Bone Marrow Registry to find a match.
   The national registry is a database of HLA markers from thousands of people.  While some get lucky and fin a match, many do not.  They might wait months for a suitable donor to be entered in the database, and then it might be too late.
   Joining the registry is easy.  You register online and they mail you a cheek swab kit.  Donating is either PBCS, which is similar to a blood donation, or a regular marrow donation, which is an outpatient procedure.  There are minimal risks, and you will be saving someone's life.
Don't want to join the registry, or can't due to a medical condition?  The processing of each donor kit costs about $100.  With your donation, you can help grow the donor registry.
learn more a bout Bone marrow donation here.

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